Aimless
by among-fallen-angels
Summary: Elena is dumped in the middle of the woods, she wanders around and finds the Baker's house up at the lake. Possible mild language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: THIS STORY IS SET AFTER PEACE WAS MADE WITH THE MERTAUGHS IN THE SECOND MOVIE. I was watching the second movie a while back, and I had some ideas running around in my head. I will update as often as possible. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Cheaper by the Dozen characters, only Elena is mine.**

Waking up in a strange place always sucks, no matter how many times it's happened before. As I began to grunt and try to move, I heard the rustling of leaves all around me. Prying my eyes open, revealed an emerald glow, with patches of shimmering gold. As my situation registered, slowly, I looked at the abundance of trees shooting up through the ground in every direction. Looking at the ground to my immediate left, there was a sparsely packed suitcase that I assumed had most of my belongings in it. Attempting to sit the rest of the way up, I felt a dull yet intense pulsating pain flare in my temples. Worrying that I had a concussion, I began asking myself all those trite and cheesy questions you're supposed to ask someone who has hit their head. "Who is the president?"…Bush…"What's your name?" Elena Bethany Smith. Trying to drag myself up off the ground, I discovered that my ankle was severely injured.

Sitting back down, I began digging through my suitcase, I found some old bandages I always kept in the side pocket, after wrapping my ankle to the best of my ability I searched through my bag to see what they had left me with. I was elated to find that they left me with my art supplies, ipod, and cell phone. Why? I have no idea, I also found a few pairs of clothes.

Pulling out my phone, I found that I didn't have any signal. Sighing to myself, I dragged my hurt ankle over to a tree, and managed to shimmy my way upright. I found a large branch, and broke it off at the height of my armpit, using the leftover, I took a t-shirt and surprisingly managed to tie it into roughly the shape of a crutch. Hobbling over to my suitcase as best I could, I slung it over my shoulder, and I began looking for some sign of human life.

After what I assumed was a few hours of wandering aimlessly through the woods, I stumbled upon a beautiful lake. The very sight of the water, glittering with the vibrant colors of the amazing sunset, I also noticed an old cottage, worn down, and beat up. It was so beautiful. I sat down on a relatively flat rock, and took out my sketchbook and some pencils, and I began to sketch.

When I finished I leaned back on my elbows, and admired my work. I was pleasantly surprised, normally landscapes weren't my strongest element, but this one was almost a perfect replication.

My ears perked a bit at the sound of soft rustling behind me, but I chose to ignore it. Putting my sketchbook and supplies back in my bag, I leaned back and admired the real view.

"That drawing was pretty amazing," a male voice commented from behind me.

"JESUS CHRIST!!!!!" I yelped, falling from my perch on the rock, and managing to hurt my ankle again. Looking behind me, I saw a handsome guy who looked to be about in his late teens, maybe early twenties, "s-sorry," I mumbled grabbing my makeshift crutch, not looking at him as I got to my feet, "I'll just leave, I assume I'm trespassing or something," I whispered, pulling my hair behind my ears.

"No, no, it's alright. Are you hurt?" he asked, catching me as I managed to trip over a twig.

"I-I'm alright, just tripped. I was h-hiking," I lied.

"With a suitcase? And drawing stuff?" he asked skeptically.

"I'm camping, I can't want to draw nature?" I asked, trying to get my way out of this situation.

"I don't see a tent," he smirked, clearly seeing I was lying. "What's really brought you here?"

Sighing, seeing no way out of this, I replied, "Honestly, I don't know. I think I was dumped in the woods. It's nothing new."

"Well, would you like a place to stay until you can find out what happened?" he asked, clearly pitying the poor homeless kid.

"Th-that sounds great," I smiled thankfully at him.

As he helped me hobble back to his family's vacation house, I found out that his name was Charlie, and he has 11 brothers and sisters, one of his sisters is married and pregnant. "Oh my god! If there are already that many people I couldn't impose!" I panicked, I really didn't want them to feel forced into helping me.

"It's alright," he assured me, laughing at how truly worried I sounded.

We arrived at his family's house, I realized, with some shock, that it was the rundown old house I had been drawing. As we came in view of the windows, a middle-aged blonde woman came rushing out of the front door. "Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" she shrieked, an instinctive maternal instinct arising. I realized how pathetic I must've looked, limping along with her son practically carrying me, my ankle all wrapped up, my clothes ripped and dirty, my hair matted and unwashed. It's no wonder she was acting so motherly.

"H-hi, I-I'm Elena," I stuttered, "h-he found me in the woods."

"My name is Kate," she replied, "come inside sweetie!"

"Th-thank you very m-m-much," I stumbled over the words, realizing that my teeth were chattering.

As they helped me limp my way into the living room, they sat me down on the old, faded couch, Kate ran into the kitchen, no doubt for some first aid. Charlie helped me prop up my ankle, and gave me a blanket.

"Th-thanks," I shivered, managing a grin, "I r-really appreciate it."

"No problem," he grinned back, "so…" he started awkwardly, "how do you think you wound up in the woods? Do you remember anything before it?"

"Yeah, I remember," I laughed at the assumption, "I've been bouncing around the foster system my whole life, most of them just dump me somewhere. Only a few have bothered to send me somewhere decent. This time I woke up in the woods with a hurt ankle and a headache. Luckily they left me with a decent amount of my stuff."

"Man, why would someone do that?" he asked, looking absolutely repulsed at the thought.

"I dunno," I replied shaking my head, "most of them just didn't realize how much extra it cost to raise a kid."

Kate returned with an ice pack, and some chicken soup, "I realize it's a bit played out," she chuckled, "but this oughta' warm you up," she offered with a grin.

"Thanks Mrs. Baker."

"Kate, please," she replied.

"Thanks Kate," I corrected myself.

"You're welcome honey," she said, soothingly rubbing my shoulder, "alright," she sighed, walking over to my suitcase, "let's see what you have here, that way we can see what you need."

"Really, I just need to find the number for the local foster care facility," I assured her.

"Nonsense," she replied.

"No really," I grimaced at the thought of costing them more money than that already spent on their kids, "I would hate to impose."

"We're not letting you go back into the foster system," she stated matter-of-factly, "I see you have a couple sets of clothes here. Ooh! And a sketchbook, do you mind if I take a look?" she asked.

"No, it's cool," I grinned at the look on her face as she opened it. Her eyes opened so wide I thought they might fall right out of her skull. Her mouth just parting slightly as if she were stuck for words.

"These are amazing," she breathed, turning the pages, examining each drawing closely.

"Thanks," I smiled and blushed.

"You should see the one she did of the lake," Charlie spoke up, rising from his seat in the chair across the coffee table, and flipped to the right page for her, "she did that one in about 10 minutes."

"You were watching me the whole time?" I asked, at bit creeped out.

"Yeah, I guess," he smiled and blushed a bit as he realized how creepy that sounded.

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone stands perfectly still watching a complete stranger draw in the middle of the woods. Nah, dude that's totally normal," I laughed at his embarrassment.

"Alright sweetie, so we can drive into town tomorrow. We'll get you some new clothes, and see a doctor about that ankle," Kate spoke up.

"Really, I don't want to put you out. I just need a phone and the yellow pages," I grimaced. I'm not used to people being so nice to me.

Charlie sighed and leaned back in the tattered and worn recliner, "You might as well give it up, there's no way you're going to talk her out of it," he smirked.

**A/N: Reviews please!! XD I'll update as soon as I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry this one is so short, I'm debating about what to do next, I've got a few ideas for where the story could be headed.**

**I only own Elena.**

I sighed and figured he was right. I let Kate show me around the cabin, still hobbling on my home-made crutch. As she finished the tour, she showed me to my room, it was pretty big, I wondered why it was empty, because it was really nice. Dark wood paneled walls, deep maroon gothic-style rug in the center of the room, a large canopy bed with dark purple curtains against the far wall, a beautiful mahogany dresser next to the door, and a desk on the other wall, presumably the second part of a set along with the dresser. My favorite part though, was the large alcove on the far wall, with an amazing view of the lake, and a window seat with purple, and black pillows along the base. My jaw fell to the floor, I dropped my bag, and hobbled over to the window, kneeling on the window seat and just staring out at the setting sun, and watching the first fireflies of the night dance around the lakeside.

"I take it you like the room," Kate smiled, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It's beautiful! With 12 kids how is this room not taken? I mean it's huge!" I asked looking at her incredulously.

She chuckled at my disbelief, "When the kids were little, my husband convinced them it was haunted. Not even my eldest daughter will sleep in here, and she's married and has a kid."

"When I was little that would have been the attraction, we could never believe anything unless we saw it for ourselves," I laughed at the memories.

"We?" she asked tentatively, I could tell she was curious.

"My sister and I. I had a twin sister," I said before I stared off into space, lost in memories of a happier time.

"Wh-," she began, I interrupted her by giggling, "what's funny?" she asked smiling at how random it had been.

"Memory, all alone in the moonlight," I sang quietly, smiling at her, and pointing at the full moon as it began it's journey across the velvety sky.

"You have a very nice voice," she commented.  
I blushed and looked at my feet, "Thank you."

"Don't be so bashful!" she grinned, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Sorry," I smiled, looking back up at her through my bangs, "what were you saying? My randomness kind of interrupted you."

She giggled and replied, "Nevermind, I wouldn't want to pry."

"It's alright," I said, and sat down on the window seat, turning my back on the sight of the moonlit lake, "but it's kind of a long story."

Just as she was about to reply, we heard a stampede of footsteps from downstairs, "How about we hear that story after dinner?"

"Sure," I smiled, feeling at home for the first time in years.

As she helped me limp my way downstairs, all the voices we had heard went silent. I didn't really pay them much mind, seeing as I was staring at the floor in front of me, trying not to injure myself any further. When we got to the bottom of the stairs I finally looked up and saw a sea of curious faces staring back at me. As I turned deep scarlet I heard a male voice say, "Way to act natural guys!"

I giggled at this and said, "Yeah, a room full of Grammy winners," hoping a joke would put everyone at ease, and it worked, they all smiled and went back to what they were doing.

Kate helped me into the kitchen, "I'd like you to meet my husband Tom, my eldest daughter Nora, and her husband Bud."

"Nice to meet you guys," I mumbled, trying to hide behind my hair.

"Hi," they all said in unison, not really looking at me, absorbed in what they were doing.

"Guys, how 'bout an actual greeting?" she said, trying to get them to talk, so maybe I'd be less shy.

At her words they all turned from what they were doing, "Better, okay, guys this is Elena, she's going to be staying with us for a while," she said from behind me with a hand on each of my shoulders.

I exchanged pleasantries with them each in turn, then Nora spoke up and asked, "Where will Elena be staying? If she wants we can put a cot up in Bud and Is room."

I smiled, waiting for her reaction to what Kate was about to say, "She gets a room of her own, because she's not afraid of a ghost story!" Kate teased, sticking her tongue out at her daughter.

"She's staying in the dark room?!" Nora asked, horrified.

"Yes honey," Kate sighed at her daughter's incredulity.

Turning to you, Nora asked, "Do you know the history of that room? Do you know what _happened _up there?"

Raising an eyebrow at her, I took a second to register everyone else's expressions. They were ones of quiet resignation, "No, I don't," I replied, a bit curious as to the story that would scare a grown woman.

"Well, wait 'till you hear it! Dad, you tell it best. Tell her the story about the dark room," she called to her father across the room.

Sighing, but crossing the room anyway, Tom sat down at the table, "Have a seat," he said with a smile. So I sat down, I love a good ghost story.

"Alright, do your worst," I grinned, knowing whatever story he had, probably wasn't all that bad.

Tom gave me an evil grin, glad to have a challenge, "On a dark and stormy night," he began, earning simply a raised eyebrow from me, "no, let me try a different route. Back when this house was first built, in 1875," eliciting a grin, "A nice young family moved in, looking for a nice quiet place to live. They were an average family, mom, dad, brother and sister. They moved up here hoping for some peace and quiet, all was well until one day, the father went out into the woods and was mauled by a bear. It tore the family apart, without him they lost all their income, they lost the house, they had to live off berries in the woods, with the very bears that murdered their father," I just sat there, a little bored as he continued, "obviously the house was sold to a new family, this one no different than the last, mother, father, and daughter. They lived there happily for many years, until one night, a raggedy woman came to the door, begging for shelter. They refused her entrace, little did they know that this was the –now fully grown- daughter of the first family to inhabit the house. Seeing as she knew every inch of that house as well as she now knew the well-worn paths through the woods, she climbed into the window of her old bedroom, only to find another young woman sleeping in her bed. Did you notice there was no nightstand in that room?" he asked for dramatic affect.

"Yup," I nodded, grinning, this wasn't too bad of a story.

"That's because, in a fit of rage, the old woman ripped one of the legs off of the nightstand, and beat the poor girl to death with it, she never even woke up. The old woman climbed out the window, and took off into the forest, never to be seen again, unless, another was once again, to sleep in her bed."

"Very nice," I applauded him, "you tell a wonderful ghost story."

"I-it's not just a ghost story," Nora chimed in, "it's true! I've seen the old woman, at the edge of the woods, making sure no one sleeps where she should."

Grinning at the ridiculous notion, I patted her on the shoulder and said, "Sure, well I believe I heard something about dinner?" looking around at the dining room, which was slowly filling up.

**A/N: Please review! Suggestions, critique (of the constructive sort), ect!**


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